This invention relates generally to the art of shipping and more particularly to a shipping pallet for use during shipping a plurality of articles.
There are many articles shipped in commerce which must be grouped and appropriately stabilized for shipment. The grouping and stabilization usually involves some sort of shipping support or container which itself represents a significant investment. It is thus prefered that means for shipment be reusable and returnable in a form which involves a minimization of weight and volume.
One such article which is shipped in commerce and is subject to the above limitations is wound cores of textile threads. These articles are normally wound on a central support which is generally referred to as a cone spool cop or bobbin. For purposes of this document the central support will be referred to as a yarn bobbin.
Various prior art devices have existed for use during shipment of a plurality of yarn bobbins having wound yarn thereon. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,735 wherein an article locator having a central flange area is trapped between two pieces of paperboard with the locator protruding from either side of the paperboard in order to centrally locate a yarn bobbin thereon in the hollow thereof. The yarn bobbin thus is located by the locator but rests upon and contacts the paperboard.
Another such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,108 wherein a unitary plastic structure is utilized as a shipping pallet and comprises a plurality of bullet shaped protuberances which are arranged so as to provide for minimum space comsumption upon return shipment. Another unitary plastic device for use as a shipping pallet is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,858 to Sibille.
Another shipping device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,234 to Gordan wherein yarn bobbins are essentially boxed within a support structure formed from corrugated cardboard. Another corrugated cardboard device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,808,651 to Gibb et al.
While all prior art devices have functioned to ship articles such devices have suffered from various short comings including rapid deterioration of paperboard and corrugated material due to the heavy workload thereof or the inability of unitary molded structures to be readily reused due to the breakage of such molded structures during use.